Abstract
The United States-Mexico border region has several major ports of entry (POEs), where large volumes of cross-border freight and passenger movement occur. A large number of heavy-duty vehicles, often moving slowly and waiting in long lines at the border, have been identified as a significant source of emissions. There are also concerns about the exposure of different groups of people to these emissions – including occupational exposures of truck drivers and workers in the border crossing facilities, members of the public crossing the border, and residents of nearby areas. This study focuses on understanding the emissions impacts and resultant exposures from border crossings, with a study of the El Paso area in Texas. This region is home to some of the largest border crossings in the U.S. and is also in violation of federal ambient air quality standards. This study will characterize the emissions impact of border crossings in El Paso and identify the population groups most affected by the emissions. A data collection exercise (involving personal sampling for exposure measurement and supplementary data collection) will then be designed and implemented to further understand the emissions impacts of border crossings.
Research Investigators (PI*)
Tara Ramani*, Texas A&M Transportation Institute
Suriya Vallamsundar, Texas A&M Transportation Institute
Natalie Johnson, Texas A&M School of Public Health
Project Information
Start Date: May 1, 2017
End Date: December 31, 2019
Status: Complete
Grant Number: 69A3551747128
Source Organization: CARTEEH UTC
Project Number: TTI-03
TRID URL
UTC Project Information Form
CARTEEH Focus Area
Emissions and Energy Estimation
Exposure and Health Impacts
Sponsor
Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology
University Transportation Centers Program
Department of Transportation
Washington, DC 20590 United States
Performing Organization
Texas A&M Transportation Institute
Texas A&M University System
1111 RELLIS PARKWAY, Bryan, TX 77807
University of Texas at El Paso
Department of Civil Engineering
500 University Ave
El Paso, TX 79968
Johns Hopkins University
Bloomberg School of Public Health
3400 N. Charles Street
Baltimore, MD 21218
